Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
No time to teach? We are really seeing some neat online, self-paced math resources coming to the marketplace, and one that we've reviewed recently is MathandAlgebra.com. We tried out a one-year, family subscription to four math courses: Elementary, Intermediate, Pre-Algebra, and Algebra I. See what we thought in our review!
What is MathandAlgebra.com?
The home page of the service has the tagline "It's not Common Core. It's Common Sense." This let me know right away that it would be a simple and easy-to-understand approach toward mastery -- something we value in our homeschool.
With a subscription, you get access to the four courses mentioned above. If you're not sure which level your child is at, peek around at the courses to see what is covered. Parents can see everything from their login and even take a course or two to understand what's being taught.
What are courses like?
Here is a student-view of the course lessons for the Basic Math course. I've selected the Ratios, Propotion, and Percents section so you can see how it's laid out. There is an introduction, several lessons, a quiz after each lesson, as well as a final chapter quiz. Worksheets are available for off-line use, as well.
This is what a lesson looks like:
The videos are hosted by Vimeo and embedded into the screen. You do not have to install additional software or open a new tab to watch it! As you can see, the teacher uses a whiteboard to explain concepts. It's a very simple, but effective approach.
After each lesson, students can take a quiz. Written directions for the quizzes are provided, so read those with your student before they take their first one. Quizzes can be taken multiple times.
Who teaches it?
The courses are delivered via video and are taught by award-winning instructor Rick Fisher, who is also the creator of a line of successful books and DVDs sharing his simple math approach. I found his explanations easy-to-follow, and because of his accessible style, these videos could be used for remedial math or even ESL students who don't have full mastery of the English language.
MathandAlgebra.com review summary
With so many options online for math, what makes this program different? With a focus on covering all of the math skills kids would need at various stages, it's an easy program to jump into, even if you aren't sure what "grade level" your child is at. The videos can be viewed on any device, and the content is easily reviewed by kids without the adult's help. This makes it an ideal option for those pursuing a truly self-paced option. The quizzes and reviews are all done online, as well. There's no need for purchasing additional textbooks or materials, if you don't want to.
MathandAlgebra.com only goes up to Algebra level, so you'll need to find another option after that. For grades 1-9 (or later for those who need math "catch-up"), you'll find incredible value with this easy-to-follow program that offers four courses at one low price. While it could be used as a stand-alone curriculum, I think it would be best used as a general review tool or a "catchup" option for kids who need more math confidence and want to cover everything to move on with mastery. However you use it, it's a nice solution for parents who don't have time or interest in teaching math themselves.
See what other parents have to say here!
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